Which do you prefer, and do you enjoy both?

I have found that I don't care for using a grid; but I do have a slight preference for having miniatures on the table, vs running straight TotM.

Definitely miniatures on a hex grid.  Or more usually, miniatures for PCs and decorative glass beads in various colors for the monsters.  Putting combat on a grid adds tactical complexity to the game that I haven't been able to replicate with TotM play.

Quote from: Mishihari on May 23, 2021, 02:05:42 AM
Definitely miniatures on a hex grid.  Or more usually, miniatures for PCs and decorative glass beads in various colors for the monsters.  Putting combat on a grid adds tactical complexity to the game that I haven't been able to replicate with TotM play.

The ability to define who is where, in relation to "x"; is why I prefer to have miniatures on the table.  However, I don't insist upon having a lot of granularity.  Ex: You are in front of, or behind "x".  Not; you are 15 feet NW of "x".

Quote from: Jam The MF on May 23, 2021, 02:02:57 AM
Which do you prefer, and do you enjoy both?

I have found that I don't care for using a grid; but I do have a slight preference for having miniatures on the table, vs running straight TotM.

Both. Theater of the mind has the advantage of no setup, and faster moving.
Minis (And I'm assuming any kind of gridded tactical combat counts, like using tokens for characters and monsters) tends to create interesting combat situations that TOTM might miss. A 25 foot move versus a 30 foot move really counts, for instance.
I started seriously using minis with 4th edition D&D, and prefer it nowadays. I like tactical games like X-Wing Miniatures, Warhammer 40k, etc, and like to steal ideas from them for RPG scenarios.

I prefer theatre of the mind for most things, because it allows players to get creative, swinging on the chandelier, kicking the tables over for cover, that kind of thing, but mini's are great for keeping track of big complicated fights.

I like miniatures because they nail things down and keep that one guy from constantly trying to argue his way out of fighting.  "No, I was over here, not over there!  He can't hit me!"

I like both.

Theater of the mind works well with small quick combats while miniatures work well with any combat that lasts longer than a couple of rounds. Plus I tend to use minis that are around 1/72" scale so that a map the size of a sheet of paper is significant and a whole table sized map can have armor units on it to scale.

I really lean towards theater of the mind, especially in person. I supplement it with a large-grid wet erase mat in case something needs to be sketched out.

I like both within the same game, same day, even same fight.  In extreme situations, I've started TotM and switched to miniatures halfway through a fight and vice versa.  According, I prefer rules that can be adapted easily to that. 

There is, of course, a degree of miniature use as well.  It's not uncommon for me to use the token (bead, die, random thing at hand) and plop down on the table with no grid, with the tokens only representing rough positioning.  That gives you a hefty chunk of the benefits of miniatures without a lot of setup. 

I've also found with the typical players in my group that the occasional use of full-blown miniatures makes it easier for the players to run with other options.  The same holds true for TotM.  There's a marriage of understanding rules/tactics while keeping the imagination and visualization of the fight going at the same time.  Not all players get that if you run the same way all the time.

I strongly prefer TotM for RPGs. I like miniature battle games too, but I approach them quite differently. I find that TotM helps keep players (including me) in their characters' heads better than "top-down" miniatures battles.

Theatre of the mind for most things, but battlemaps are useful for tactical combat.

Definitely minis. I enjoy games with an element of tactical combat which is hard to do with TotM. Plus, if you're going to be fighting more than 1-2 foes, minis make it easier to track where everyone is.

Quote from: Charon's Little Helper on May 23, 2021, 12:55:38 PM
Plus, if you're going to be fighting more than 1-2 foes, minis make it easier to track where everyone is.

I have found that can be a flaw with minis rather than a feature when you're trying to roleplay the fog of war and the uncertainty of the foes numbers & maneuvers. Sometimes showing the players far more (and more precisely) than their characters can/should be witness to is damaging to the overall play experience.

Quote from: HappyDaze on May 23, 2021, 01:14:00 PM

Quote from: Charon's Little Helper on May 23, 2021, 12:55:38 PM
Plus, if you're going to be fighting more than 1-2 foes, minis make it easier to track where everyone is.

I have found that can be a flaw with minis rather than a feature when you're trying to roleplay the fog of war and the uncertainty of the foes numbers & maneuvers. Sometimes showing the players far more (and more precisely) than their characters can/should be witness to is damaging to the overall play experience.

Agreed. There are various ways to start to capture the fog of war in a game, but minis on a board is a great way to dispel it completely.

Quote from: HappyDaze on May 23, 2021, 01:14:00 PM

Quote from: Charon's Little Helper on May 23, 2021, 12:55:38 PM
Plus, if you're going to be fighting more than 1-2 foes, minis make it easier to track where everyone is.

I have found that can be a flaw with minis rather than a feature when you're trying to roleplay the fog of war and the uncertainty of the foes numbers & maneuvers. Sometimes showing the players far more (and more precisely) than their characters can/should be witness to is damaging to the overall play experience.

You can maintain the fog of war somewhat; by only setting out what would be right in front of the PCs, or else easily visible to them.  As they work their way through the first wave, set out the second wave.  Don't let them know how close or far away they are from victory.